Why They Never Buried Us
"We will bury you," Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev told western diplomats in 1956, and as late as the nineteen-eighties even many Americans remained convinced that the Soviet economy was producing respectable levels of economic growth. "Those in the U.S. who think the Soviet Union is on the verge of economic...collapse," wrote Harvard historian Arthur Schlesinger, Jr. in 1981, "are only kidding themselves."
With this in mind as I was doing some Cold War reading just now, I came across a remarkable passage in A Century of Violence in Soviet Russia by Alexander Yakovlev. Himself a member of the politiburo, Yakovlev, who died in 2005, devoted his final years to investigating the crimes of the Communist Party.
"[W]hile on an official trip to the Primorsky district [a district on the Black Sea]," Yakovlev writes,
I heard Nikita Khrushchev speak….He was on his way back from China….He flew into a rage, shouted, and threatened drastic action when the captains of some fishing vessels reported on the disgraceful state of the fishing industry. They’d fill their fishing nets four or five times but often weren’t able to offlaod their catch for lack of processing equipment on shore. So they’d throw the fish back in the sea. And this would be repeated season after season.
So there’s our planned economy for you, Khrushchev fumed. Spotting Mikoyan [Anastas Mikoyan, a member of the politburo who was close to Khrushchev] in the audience, he dressed him down on the spot, and he phoned Malenkov [Georgy Malenkov, another senior Soviet] in Moscow with orders to buy new processing equipment—special vessles, as I recall, from Denmark. He glowed with energy. The captains were ecstatic. Later, back in Moscow, I inquired into what had been done on his instructions. The answer: absolutely nothing.
Ronald Reagan, who held a degree from Eureka College, understood that the Soviet economy was doomed by its very nature. Arthur Schlesinger, Jr., who studied at Philips Exeter, Harvard, and Cambridge, did not.
Who was kidding whom?
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Feb '11
Re: Why They Never Buried Us
Linked at Chicago Boyz and Photon Courier, along with some apposite thoughts from George Eliot.
Jan '11
Re: Why They Never Buried Us
What's troubling your perspective, Peter, is that you lack the ability to see what is not there and, conversely, to not see what is there - in social and economic situations.
But don't despair, once you get the hang of it, it's easy. Ask any liberal.
Re: Why They Never Buried Us
Some years ago, I sat next to Schlesinger at a dinner at a conference where we were both speakers -- he, a headliner; and I, a proletarian. I have never met a man with a higher opinion of himself.
Apr '11
Re: Why They Never Buried Us
I had an econ professor in the mid-1970s who assured us that the Soviet Union was simply too inefficient to continue. The class, myself included, just laughed and figured he was just a crank.
Feb '11
Re: Why They Never Buried Us
barbara lydick: "I, Pencil" written by Leonard E. Read Founder, Foundation for Economic Education, should be required reading for every citizen. It invites "Wonder at the countless bits of human know-how and natural materials spontaneously organized by our global market economy into the making of a simple wooden pencil. Wonder at what one individual can achieve for millions of his fellow men through a lifetime of dedication to principle.
"And wonder, most of all, at the everyday miracles made possible by a political and economic system that dares to have faith in free men." · 38 minutes ago
Here's a link to that essay (ignore the "lead" pencil in the beginning and insert "graphite" if you must).
Nov '10
Re: Why They Never Buried Us
Indeed. Supercilious and smug.
Aug '10
Re: Why They Never Buried Us
Sure like Severely Ltd comment.As I recall a frisson of panic upon hearing Kruschev 's threat, at the tender age of five. And the shoe on the desk. Now I wonder how was in charge of scaring me, lying to me, and creating an atmosphere of doubt about the USA. Scheslinger doesn't surprise, and the rest have become usual suspects.That was a short era then, from the wonderful snesation when the Berlin wall came down to today. The day we hear the present leader is ready to demilitarize to a level when Russia railed at us without parity.uh- oh
May '10
Re: Why They Never Buried Us
Peter Robinson
"Ronald Reagan, who held a degree from Eureka College, understood that the Soviet economy was doomed by its very nature. Arthur Schlesinger, Jr., who studied at Philips Exeter, Harvard, and Cambridge, did not."
Could it be the difference between being taught HOW to think vs. WHAT to think? I, too, went to a small, private, Midwestern liberal arts college. I learned long ago that the most valuable thing I learned there was critical thinking; something I now realize to be a rare commodity.
Edited on February 18, 2012 at 2:16amJun '10
Re: Why They Never Buried Us
Yesterday Tim Geithner appeared before Paul Ryan's House committee on the 2013 budget and admitted he doesn't have a definitive solution to the long-term deficit problem. The surprise was that he testified in Greek. Like one of Khrushchev's rants, can you see our severely socialist POTUS banging his Bruno Magli loafer over at Treasury? Geithner may get photo-shopped out of the annual Cabinet group pic. What's past is prologue.
Jul '10
Re: Why They Never Buried Us
Mama Toad
barbara lydick: "I, Pencil" written by Leonard E. Read Founder, Foundation for Economic Education, should be required reading for every citizen. It invites "Wonder at the countless bits of human know-how and natural materials spontaneously organized by our global market economy into the making of a simple wooden pencil. Wonder at what one individual can achieve for millions of his fellow men through a lifetime of dedication to principle.
"And wonder, most of all, at the everyday miracles made possible by a political and economic system that dares to have faith in free men." · 38 minutes ago
Here's a link to that essay (ignore the "lead" pencil in the beginning and insert "graphite" if you must). · 4 hours ago
Mama Toad - thank you much for supplying a link. Another is http://www.fee.org/library/books/i-pencil-2/ with an afterword by Milton Friedman. And, of course, there's Hillsdale College (Imprimus Issue)
http://www.hillsdale.edu/news/imprimis/archive/issue.asp?year=1983&month=12
I figured the Ricochet community already knew the work. Just wanted to pass along those beautiful words.
Feb '12
Re: Why They Never Buried Us
Peter Robinson
Fredösphere: Peter, thanks to the recommendation of a Ricochet member, I've started reading Viktor Suvorov. It's comedy of the very blackest kind, and all true.
· 30 minutes ago
Victor Suvorov? I'm embarrassed to admit it, but the name's a new one on me. Is there one book with which I should start? · 8 hours ago
Peter - I am glad I can make my first post as Ricochet member to be of some help to you :)
Viktor Suvorov (Rezun) is a very well-know and very controversial author. His primary book - Icebreaker - argues that Stalin was planning to invade Germany in summer of 1941. Obviously, it contradicts everything that was taught for 60 years, and caused quite a stir. But even bigger controversy was that Hitler found out about Stalin's plans and made a preemptive strike. In many people's minds it is as close as it gets to justifying German attack.
By the way - while "Primorsk" means "near the sea" in Russian, Primorsk district is in Pacific (Vladivostok); not on Black Sea :)
Sep '11
Re: Why They Never Buried Us
Yakovlev's book is a real gem!
May '11
Re: Why They Never Buried Us
The main difference between conservatives and "progrssives" (and in that category I include the Democtratic party, European Social Democrats and socialists of all stripes) is that we understand human nature and the limitations therein. They continue to chase an impossible utopian ideal that destroys freedom and has bankrupted the world.
May '11
Re: Why They Never Buried Us
We misunderheard the Soviet Premiere when he thundered "We will Barry you!"
Jun '10
Re: Why They Never Buried Us
I truly think that the reason the Soviet Union lasted long after it's "sell-by" date is the support it received from the leftist intellectuals in the respectable western countries. Castro still benefits from this psychological comfort and support.
The same is definitely true about what happened in the first three years of the Iraq war -- no one wants to mention the powerful support that is drawn from the western intellectual's support for the "insurgents" and their demonizing of our war effort.
I too often read commentary about both these times and yet never see this folded into the analysis.